1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to wager gaming systems and wide area networks. More particularly, it relates to enabling a player to log on to a wide area gaming network from a gaming machine or other computing device to access player data and various services.
2. Description of the Related Art
Patrons of gaming establishments often play games at different venues and casinos. A player may play a certain game on a gaming machine at one casino and then want to continue playing the same game at a different casino. Many players would like to keep track of their progress in the same game across multiple casinos or properties. For example, if a player plays Wheel of Fortune at a casino A and achieves a certain score, she would like to continue playing the same game and begin with the same score when she resumes play at casino B or at a different gaming machine at casino A. She may also like to have any winnings or other events published online, such as to social networking sites, to inform certain friends.
Players would like to essentially log onto a system that keeps track of a player's profile and game status data whenever the player identifies herself to a gaming machine, for example, through a casino's loyalty program, also known as a player tracking system. This single sign-on process should be as passive as possible when treating or interacting with the player. That is, it should not require the player to enter additional or duplicative information about herself when starting game play on a machine. Ideally, the player should not be distracted from what is generally the normal or conventional course of game play. That is, it would be preferable if the single sign-on to the gaming network was efficient and transparent to the player. Additionally, it should be done without the need for full user authentication with regard to normal game play and accumulating points. The player's account data, including profile data and point accumulation, should be done seamlessly and require little or no extra effort from the player, with the exception of when the player is redeeming points. At that time, it is acceptable that there be more interaction with the player in order to verify the redemption.